Time has proven that this combination of Philips DAC and Transport is probably the most longlasting and mechanically robust ever made, and combined with its superb audio fidelity, it naturally lends itself to modification, in order to extract every last nuance of exceptional sound reproduction. Correctly restored and modified, the sound quality is superb, and it puts many other CD players, irrespective of their age, to shame.

This unit came onto my lab-bench after showing symptoms of random blackouts on the front-panel, skipping tracks, and difficulty in extending the CD-tray. Track-skipping is indicative of a failing laser - simple enough, but the cause of the random blackouts proved tough to nail down.